Toothbrush



Feb. 7, 1933. R. J. TALBOT 1,896,982

TOOTHBRUSH FiledNov. 2o, 1930 2 sheets-sheet 1 O-OO Y r4 SIM/vanto@ I Vw whmnlbdc l x @mi y R. J. TALBOT Feb. 7, 1933.

TOOTHBRUSH Filed Nov. 20, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .Biffi if!! :Jn/vento@IRLdwx L IY. Tcbob @51:4 aff@ Patented Feb. 7, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE RICHARD J. TALBOT, 0F SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS TOOTHBRUSHApplication filed November 20, 1930. Serial Noi. 497,018.

of the elongated casing and means is provided` for forcing the tabletsinto a chamber adjacent the bristles as they ,are used. Also, a valve ordetent is provided within the elongated casing for allowing the passageoneat a time, thereby retaining the balance of the tablets within thehandle portion of the casing.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a device of the abovementioned character in which. a supply of tooth paste or the like iscarried in the handle of the tooth brush, whereby the Anecessity ofusing paste or cleaning material from a tube is dispensed with therebyproviding a more sanitary Inan- L ner of cleaning teeth and it isnecessary for each individual to provide his own brush and series ofcleaning tablets.

A still further object of this invention, is to provide a device of theabove mentioned .j character having comparatively few parts to becomeout of order and which may be cheaply and easily manufactured at aminimum cost. y

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentduring the course of the following description, forming a part of thespecification, in which,

Figure l is a longitudinal top elevation of the invention illustratingthe apertures in the top wall of the housing and showing the cap at oneend of the casing and the bristles embedded in the opposite end of thecasing; Figure l is a longitudinal cross-sectional view illustrating themanner in which the tablets or tooth paste are retained in the handleand the manner in which they are adapted to be projected into thedispensing chamber individually;

Figure 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing one of thecapsules in the liquid chamber and showing the manner in which theremainder are retained in the handle;

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail longitudinal cross-sectional view of thehandle, showing the manner in which the coil spring is held in place bythe removable cap at one end and the manner in which'it impinges thecapsules at the opposite end; l

Figure 7 is a longitudinal sectional view,

showing in detail the construction of the V detent for allowing thepassage of one capsule at a time; f

Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional view,

showing a fragmentary section of the handle and capsule chamber and thevalve or detent k construction;

Figure 9 is a longitudinal sectional View, showing a portion of thehandle and the tablet chamber enlarged and illustrating the detentv inits closed position;

Figure l() is a perspective view of the valve or detent for controllingthe passage of the `individual capsule; y

Figure l1 is a cross-sectional view taken kon line 11-11 of Figure 9,illustrating the contour. of the casing or handle and the arrangement ofthe valve or detent therein Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view taken online lf2-12 of Figure 9, looking in-the direction of the arrows andshowing the detent further in detail to illustrate the manner in whichthe same is pivoted in an opening within the elongated handle;

Figure 13 is a modified form of the inven tion and illustrates theindividualtablet arranged in a handle and adapted to be projected.forwardly by a follower acted upon b-yacoilspring. v i

,In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustrating the inventionand wherein like .59 after! having'been dissolved by the water will,

4reference characters may -be Yemployed vto designate like partsthroughout the same, the Vreference character-5 will generallybe e111-,ployedto designate an elongated casing in-v cluding a handle portion 6;which is adapted to be formed rectangular in cross-section in -conectionwith a brush holder 7.

One end offthe rectangular'handle 6 is provided* -with a disk 8 havingsuitable threads for a cap or closure 9. As the handle- 6 is rectangularin cross section itis necessary to providerthe"disk"8'finrder'that thecap Y9 may be VscrewV threaded thereonhy a certain movement.'

The brush housing 7 :isfprovidedfon itsiupbg per wall with a series ofapertureslO, while it is provided on" its lower'iwallwith aseriesofsimilaraperturesfll.1 illllsqbristles 12are'emvbedded"inft-helowerwall'offthevbrushhusing 71 as :clearly illustrated in Figures' 4: A' and5.

" l' The bristles 12 may beembedded inthe lower i wall 13 in anysuitable manner, and if desired,

the brush housing 7 maybe formed of a difvferent materialk than thehandle portion .6:- The brushxhousing `7 is hollow and/is also formedrectangularin cross-fse'ctionto provide achamber 14 into'whichiisadapted to be projecting? an individual tooth paste capsulevasillustrated inFi`gure5L- jfItis proposed toY form the tablets 15'rec-V tangular "in cross-sectionand preferably formedof a small cube"ofpaste whereby thesaniemay ,be Vretained within Athe rectangularhousing or handle .6 by being-insertedafter theicap9has been removed. Acoil'spring 16-L`fhaving angular'convolutions is mounted the tablets 15have been placed in thehandle Y partment or chamber and it is proposedto," provide means ffor allowing the pas'sagejfofY only one tablet at atime in the chamber' 14 .wherebyi oneend ofthe spring 16l willlengagetleftablets 15, rwhileithe'lopposite end. will be engaged -by- .thefc'apor removable closure 9: In this manner, the individual capsulesl` arefed {forwardly in the direction of the `'coin'- whereffit isadapted tobe actedupon byfwater passingthrough the'opening 10 and out'of'theopening 11 whereby a portion of the capsule fallzdownwardly upon thebristles 12;`V l

-l1`ormed in .the upper wall of the elongated casing 5 adjacent thecapsule chamber 144 is a slot orY opening 1S-in which @is pivoted'anfoblong `detent 19 as'by meansfof a pin20pass.`

"ingthifough'an openingl21in vthe upper edge othe .'detent 19,"andhavingits ends embedy ded openings .inlth'e v'side edges of' the open-l i..ing 18. A nger" piece 22 isformedintegral tentis initsfclosedfpositiomtis 'adaptedfto befengaged bya spring{23 having a notched p'ortion24zforreceivingtheedgeof the'oblong detent. lOne end ofjthesprin'g 23'isrigidly securedin a; recessed/portion "of the bottom Awall of the casingv6, while-the .opposite end` is free and presented in the direction ofthe travel ofthe capsules 15. In this manner, the

oblong detent 19 may be held in its closed po.-

sition, blocking the entire cross sectional area of the elongated'casing6.

1 Also pivotally mounted in areduced portionl of the slot 18 `is a tripmember 27 pivotally held in place asby meansA ofa pin 28. The

pin 28 passes through a bore 29 in the upper edgeof ythe trip 27 andalso lhas its ends anchored in the edges of the'sl'ot 18. A'lexibleelement 30 has one of its ends embedded in the vsidewall of the detent19, while its opposite end is curved ,andembedded in the top edge of thetrip 27, whereby movement of the oblongdetentf'liwill simultaneouslycause VleX-` in'gofthe flexible l'member 3 0 and; cause movement ofthe'trip27-or allowing the passage of` "one capsule 15 at a time.

The constructionf'illustrated"in Figure 13,"

includes 'an elongated casingl 5 similar toy the elongated casllgr'handle 5 and the han;

dle iis-formed rectangular in cross-section and is provided at' oneVendl with an enlarged brush support 7 in lwhich'is adapted'to besupported Y orV secured afseries of "bristles`12. Af'brushor bristlesupport"7" A` connectsj the handleif. and the rectangular opening in thehandle 5 terminates in thebrusligbase'orsup#` port f7" `rinja *chamber6". AL spring pressed follower oblong -inV cross section isdesignatedby:the referencecharacter 8f and iis slidably mountedwithinthe-handlefwhereby a coil*` spring 9 mayhave one of its vends 4 engaging thefollower 8" and its'fopposite end? engaging` a circularscrew threadedcap 10. An operati hason'e offits ends connectedto `the vfollower v 8.andthe other end provided-with an operate ing finger piece .12" wherebyreciprocating `movementto the follower 8 may be caused:

fifThe tablets'f15;;are Vmovably mounted withinfthef'handle8 ina similarfashion t0 the structurev illustrated in` Figures'l to 12 inclusivefbutinolineans-is provided for in.- tercepting the passagejo the tabletsfrom the handle.. portion* of the elongated 'casing provided. with acurved lower `wall 16 having: openings or apertures 17 .for the passagel ofi ,waterf land va dissolved its close'dpositionextending acrosslthecross-i section'alffarea Vofthe `casing 5. 'After-fthe.

tablets 15 have beeni thus placed within the i to 'causathe-'detent 19to be' moved 'into the 4position?shown Figures7 8jwhereby yha`ndle,thefinger/piece 22:1nay be operated the trip 27 will allow the passage ofthe first tablet that will drop into position to prevent the passage ofthe next tablet. After a tablet l5 has been projected into the chamber1st the remaining cubicals are retained in the handle by means of thedetent 19 whereby the operator may present the brush to a suitable watersupply from a faucet whereby portions of the tablet 15 will be dissolvedand fed to the bristles 12.

The operation of the device as illustrated in Figure 13 is somewhatsimilar to the operation of the device disclosed in Figures l to 12inclusive with the exception that the tooth paste tablets l5 may be fedforwardly by means of the spring pressed follower 8 or there may bepositively operated or projected forwardly into the chamber 6 where theymay be acted upon by presenting the brusn 12 to a water supply whereby aportion of the tablet may be dissolved and fed through the opening 17onto the bristles l2.

lt is to be understood that the forms of the invent-ion herewith shownand described are to be taken as the preferred examples of the same, andthat various changes may be made therein without departing from thspirit and scope of tie invention as claimed.

1. A tooth brush of the character described, comprising an elongate-clcasing having apertures at one end thereof, tooth brush bristles mountedadjacent the apertures, a closure for the opposite end of the casing,means for feeding a series of individual tooth paste tablets to aposition adjacent the apertured portion of the casing, and means forretarding the forward movement of the capsules whereby one tablet willbe allowed to be moved into the compartment in close relation to theapertured portion of the casing at a time.

2. A tooth brush of the character described, comprising an elongatedcasing having apertures at one end thereof, a series of tooth brushbristles mounted in close relation to the apertures, a removable closurescrew threaded on the opposite end of the casing, a coil spring mountedwithin the casing, a series of individual dentifrice tablets alsomounted in the casing, and a pivoted detent mounted in the casing forpreventing passage of more than one dentifrice tablet at a time into theapertured portion of the casing.

3. A tooth brush of the character described, comprising an elongatedcasing having apertures at one end thereof, a removable closure for theopposite end of the casing, a series of dentifrice tablets mounted inthe elongated casing, means for feeding the tablets to the oppositeportion of the casing and a pivoted detent mounted in the path of thedentifrice tablets.

4. In a brush, a casing having a mixing chamber and a reservoir fortablets of cleaning compound, a bristle element in communication withthe mixing chamber, a valve between the chamber and reservoir and a stopactuated by the opening of the valve whereby a single tablet of cleaningcompound is admitted into the mixing chamber.

5. The combination with a brush having a mixing chamber for an externalliquid and a reservoir for internally carried tablets of cleaningcompound, and a bristle element in communication with the mixingchamber, of means for admitting a single tablet of the cleansingcompound into the mixing chamber including a valve between the reservoirand mixing chamber, and a stop raised and lowered by the opening andclosing movement of the valve and extending into the reservoir forautomatically arresting the passage of more than a single tablet ofcleansing compound.

6. A brush comprising a reservoir for tablets of a cleansing compoundand a saturation chamber with a bristle element in communication withthe saturationv chamber, a valve separating the reservoir and chamber,means for opening and closing the valve and means attached to the valvefor automatically limiting the feeding of the tablets of cleansingcompound admitted to the saturation chamber upon each opening movementof the valve.

7. 1n a brush of the character described, a. hollow handle comprising acompartment for tablets of cleansing material and a mixing chamber witha bristle element in communication with the mixing chamber, a valveinterposed between the compartment and chamber and a trip 'device in thecompartment for engagement with the tablets of cleansing material andcontrolled in its operation by the valve to be disengaged from thetablets of cleansing material by operation of the valve to permit asingle tablet of cleansing material to be moved into the mixing chamber.

8. A brush as recited in claim 7, characterized by a spring arm carriedby the trip device and engaged with the valve.

9. In a tooth brush having an elongated handle, one end of which acts asa receptacle for dentifrice tablets and the other end acts as a mixingchamber for the dentifrice and a liquid, a valve dividing the receptacleand mixing chamber including a lift, a flap valve and al stop carried bythe flap valve whereby the tablets are admitted into the mixing chamberin measured quantities.

ln testimony whereof I affix my signature.

RICHARD J. TALBOT.

